Wireless local area network enhancements for access traffic steering switching splitting

Abstract

Some embodiments may relate to incorporating RAN measurements when determining traffic distribution for access traffic steering switching splitting (ATSSS) systems. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 memory to store first radio access network (RAN) measurements associated with a first RAN and second RAN measurements associated with a second RAN, wherein the first RAN is a cellular RAN; and   processing circuitry, coupled with the memory, that configures the apparatus to:
 communicate an access traffic steering switching splitting (ATSSS) Capability message in a packet data unit (PDU) session establishment message, the ATSSS Capability message indicating which steering modes are supported by a user equipment (UE) and whether the UE supports receiving ATSSS rule updates over Protected Management Frames (PMF) messaging; 
 retrieve the first and second RAN measurements from the memory; and 
 determine a traffic distribution to distribute traffic of the UE between the first RAN and the second RAN for ATSSS based on the first and second RAN measurements and an ATSSS steering mode, the ATSSS steering mode selected based on the ATSSS Capability message. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first RAN measurements include measurements received from a next generation RAN (NG-RAN) node or the UE. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first RAN measurements include measurements received from the second RAN or the UE. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second RAN is a wireless local area network (WLAN). 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ATSSS steering mode is a load-balancing mode, a priority-based mode, or a dynamic traffic steering mode. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configures the apparatus to retrieve session management subscription data that includes information to indicate one or more allowed steering modes. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the information in the session management subscription data includes a single indicator that is to indicate whether or not ATSSS steering modes based on RAN measurements are allowed. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the information in the session management subscription data includes separate indicators to indicate whether RAN measurement-based steering is allowed for different respective steering modes. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry configures the apparatus to determine the traffic distribution through an update of one or more ATSSS rules or N4 rules. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry configures the apparatus to:
 receive, from the first RAN, measurement assistance information (MAI) that specifies which set of RAN measurements are to be performed, whether the set of RAN measurements are to be performed periodically or on demand, and a periodicity for measurement reporting for periodic performance of the set of RAN measurements;   perform the set of RAN measurements; and   report the set of RAN measurements as indicated in the MAI.   
     
     
         11 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configures a user equipment (UE) to:
 receive, from a network entity, measurement assistance information (MAI) that indicates one or more measurements to be performed and on which of different types of networks to perform the one or more measurements and that measurement reports are be sent to the network entity from which the MAI was received; and   in response to the MAI, encode a measurement report, that includes measurement elements based on the one or more measurements, for transmission to a user plane function (UPF) in the network from which the MAI was received.   
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the measurement report is a UE access traffic steering switching splitting (ATSSS) radio access network (RAN) measurement report. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the measurement report includes a UE RAN measurement element for new radio (NR) access or wireless local area network (WLAN) access. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the media further stores instructions that configure the UE to:
 receive, from the UPF, a UE ATSSS rule update request message;   update a rule based on the UE ATSSS rule update request message; and   encode a UE ATSSS rule update complete message for transmission to the UPF.   
     
     
         15 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure a user equipment (UE) to:
 send an access traffic steering switching splitting (ATSSS) Capability message in a packet data unit (PDU) session establishment message to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in a next generation (NG) network, the ATSSS Capability message indicating which steering modes are supported by the UE and whether the UE supports receiving ATSSS rule updates over Protected Management Frames (PMF) messaging;   in response to the PDU session establishment message, receive a PDU session establishment accept message from the AMF, the PDU session establishment accept message indicating that a PDU session has been successfully established and providing ATSSS rules;   receive measurement assistance information (MAI) that indicates on which radio access network (RAN) measurements are to be performed;   perform the RAN measurements as indicated in the MAI; and   report the RAN measurements using a traffic distribution between different RANs as indicated by the MAI based on the RAN measurements and an ATSSS steering mode selected based on the ATSSS Capability message and ATSSS rules.   
     
     
         16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the PDU session establishment accept message indicates session parameters that include the ATSSS rules, internet protocol (IP) address, and Quality of Service (QOS), and   selection of the ATSSS rules is based on the ATSSS Capability message.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the media further stores instructions that configure the UE to initiate or respond to a multi-access (MA) PDU session modification request to dynamically update at least one of ATSSS Capability, MAI, or ATSSS rules during the PDU session. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the MAI indicates that the RAN measurements are to be performed periodically or on demand, and, for the RAN measurements that are to be performed periodically, a periodicity for measurement and reporting. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the MAI indicates that the RAN measurements are to be collected and reported for trusted wireless local area network (WLAN) access, the RAN measurements provided from a trusted WLAN access point (AP) or trusted WLAN gateway (TNGF) to a user plane function (UPF) for ATSSS rule determination. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the MAI indicates that the RAN measurements are to be collected and reported for untrusted WLAN access, the RAN measurements provided from an untrusted WLAN access point to a user plane function (UPF) for ATSSS rule determination. 
     
     
         21 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the MAI indicates that a wireless local area network (WLAN) measurement report is transmitted to a user plane function (UPF), and updated access traffic steering switching splitting (ATSSS) rules received from the UPF based on the WLAN measurement report.